This is the time of year where every result matters. No matter how you get it, that is the general consensus. It is the accepted wisdom of football. Celtic fans know that at this point in the calendar the only thing that matters is the result.

But the results have papered over a lot of cracks recently, and as perverse as it sounds, the results are no longer enough. The Celtic Star put up a piece this morning saying we need to win at Dundee by any means necessary. I agree, to an extent. We do need to win. There is absolutely no question about that.

But the win has to say something. It has to be a statement, and the statement has to be about more than the scoreline. It has to show that we have learned something, that we have taken on board the lessons of the last few months. The piece is technically correct in terms of survival in this title race, but fans need hope as well.

Paulina wrote a piece a few weeks ago, in the aftermath of the Dundee United game, that cut right to the contradiction at the heart of everything we...